Obama backs Plan B decision

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama said he backs a decision against selling the morning-after birth control bill over the counter to girls younger than 17.

"I did not get involved in the process," Obama said Thursday during a brief news conference at the White House. "I will say this, as the father of two daughters, I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine."

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday overruled the Food and Drug Administration, saying there were too many questions about the safety of the so-called "Plan B" morning-after pill for girls who can conceive as young as 10 or 11 years old. Plan B will remain available for girls age 17 and older without prescription, but girls under the age of 17 will need a prescription.

Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex.

He said Sebelius decided Plan B should not be available "alongside bubble gum or batteries" because of the potentially adverse side effects if not used properly.

"[The] question is: Can we have confidence that they [girls under 17] would potentially use Plan B properly," Obama said, explaining that, in Sebelius' judgment, there wasn't enough evidence.